The final whistle is blown and Djibril Cisse gets off to the perfect start on his return to English football by scoring the winner as Spurs' defensive problems continue to haunt them.

Into injury time now and the home fans are beginning to exit the stadium as it appears their side are going to lose their second game of the campaign.

Heroic defending from Phil Bardsley who comes from nowhere to deny Darren Bent a header on goal - but he has picked up a heavy knock to his left knee as a result and has stayed down for now.

Do Spurs have the heart now to come back for a second time? They have been all over the Black Cats but once again they have been punished on the break and this time it could cost them dear.

Into the final ten minutes and after a highly lacklustre first period from both sides the second half has really come alive and surely there is a goal here for someone.

Sadly for the travelling Sunderland fans it is all Spurs for the moment and as it stands they look the most likely to steal the three points late.

The crowd are really up for this now and so are all 22 players on the pitch and it has the feeling that the last quarter of an hour could be something special here.

David Bentley is the latest to test Gordon as Spurs begin to try and batter down the door of the Sunderland defence but Gordon is agile enough to tip his looping effort over the bar.

Jermaine Jenas has suddenly come alive in a more attacking role and he bursts in behind to latch onto a bouncing ball and beats Gordon to the header, however his luck is out as it scrapes the wrong side of the post.

Tom Huddlestone is absolutely huge - in the muscular sense of the word - and looks a towering, powerful presence in the midfield for Spurs and is rather unfortunate to give away a free-kick as Malbranque bumps into him.

Spurs are applying real pressure now and this is what they should have been doing from the first whistle but Giovani now curls a fraction wide and Jenas warms the hands of Gordon too.

That is the old Darren Bent! He uses his pace and power to get beyond Nosworthy and company and although he only finds the side netting it is encouraging from the former Charlton man.

Sunderland are likely to sit back a little more now, however Spurs have a free-kick - Bentley goes for goal but is denied by a great save from Gordon, but Woodgate and Jenas are there to surely score. Somehow they can only guide it wide.

Tottenham have had a slight re-shuffle now as Bale is back at left back with Bentley moving to the right hand side and Giovani is in the left wing role.

Spurs almost find an immediate riposte as Darren Bent wriggles free of Nosworthy to hit a shot on the turn that Gordon has to beat away.

The Spurs fans are starting to get excited as they see former Barcelona youngster Giovani Dos Santos being readied for action.

If this is a sign of things to come then the second half could well be a far more entertaining affair than the opening 45 minutes - something the fans would certainly welcome.

Diouf is yet again unpopular as he throws himself to the floor to win a free-kick - nevertheless Reid curls it in and Collins loops his header just a fraction wide, he too should have scored.

However, Gareth Bale should have made that point null and void as he has a free header on the six-yard box but he gets underneath it and has his head in his hands as it flies over.

Juande Ramos' options are limited if things do not change too quickly as there are no real front men on his bench with only really Giovani an attacking option.

Darren Bent has been quiet, not that he hasn't been trying but the service has just not been good enough, but he does almost get on the end of a lost cause now but Gordon is out smartly to deny him.

Diouf is making himself unpopular with the away fans - no change there then - as he writhes in pain on the floor after a challenge from Jenas, but he is up again and fine - no change there yet again then.

What a chance for Sunderland and Steed Malbranque! The Frenchman is given too much space and strikes it against the bottom of the post from outside the box and King just about scrambles away the rebound with Diouf and Richardson ready to pounce.

Kieran Richardson - once linked with a move to White Hart Lane during his time at Man Utd - is giving Didier Zokora a few problems on the left flank for Sunderland and Diouf and Murphy will be looking for him to create something for them.

Did I say something about Modric looking the 'real deal'? Well I take it back because he has hardly touched the ball in the last 20 minutes here and Spurs need his creativity to unlock a well organised Black Cats defence.

Aaron Lennon does his best impression of Usain Bolt now as he takes the ball the length of the field in a flash before feeding Bentley who takes too long and is robbed by a recovering Nosworthy.

Diouf looks really up for this game today, everytime he gets the ball he causes problems and he takes on two here before laying it off for Malbranque who is chopped down on the edge of the box - but Reid wastes the free-kick.

It has been an entertaining half hour here despite a lack of goals but the hosts - for all their possession - have yet to give Craig Gordon a proper test.

From pretty much nowhere El-Hadji Diouf finds himself in space but Woodgate flicks the ball away from the Senegalese's head.

Sunderland have superb quality on the ball at times and in Andy Reid - another former Spurs player - they have a player with an eye for a pass and he sees Malbranque in space at the back post but Assou-Ekotto arrives in the nick of time.

What is it they say about a commentator's curse? Aaron Lennon leaves Danny Collins on his backside and only a superb diving header from Nosworthy stops Bent making it 1-0.

Roy Keane would no doubt have told his players to see out the opening twenty minutes without conceding and they have made it quite comfortably as a group of ever-improving defenders look solid.

David Bentley has become rather famed for his prodigious delivery from dead balls and he shows why as he whips a dangerous corner into the near post but Woodgate fails to make contact.

Spurs have a strange balance to their side again today and it does not seem to be working for them too well at either end. The midfielders don't know what to do as Bent looks isolated but the defenders are left vulnerable at the same time.

Still goalless at the Lane with Spurs the more dominant side but Sunderland, much like their North East rivals Boro' last week, look ever dangerous on the break.

Eccentric Brazilian goakeeper Huerelho Gomes has had a rather simple opening ten minutes - always nice on your home debut - but he does start a counter attack now and Bentley drives from range but its always drifitng wide.

El-Hadji Diouf looks like an interesting signing from Roy Keane but he shows why the boss brought him on board as he sprints into the box away from three defenders before eventually being denied by Assou-Ekotto.

Ramos' men have made a bright start and Luka Modric looks like the real deal now as he cleverly feeds Bent who fires just over with the outside of his boot.

Spurs very quickly out of the blocks and Modric wins a corner that will allow the hosts to apply some pressure, but Bentley wastes it and Lennon is forced to track back to prevent a counter attack.